Butternut Squash and Bacon Mac ‘n Cheese

29Jul09

This recipe is originally from Cooking Light magazine, but it’s so delicious I don’t know whether I can believe it’s actually light! It’s cheesy and creamy and… bacon-y! If you don’t love butternut squash, this recipe might change your mind. Then again, cover anything in cheese and bacon and it instantly becomes great anyway. This does take some time to make, so it’s usually a weekend dinner for us. The great part is that it makes enough for lunches for the next couple days. And it’s great cold too so you can’t really go wrong. There have been a few times that the leftovers didn’t quite make it to lunch and were eaten straight out of the fridge, cold. That’s a good sign!

Preheat to 425. Coat the squash lightly in cooking spray, rosemary, and S&P. Roast in a pan for 45 minutes until squash is tender.

While the squash is roasting, cook the pasta, and fry the bacon. When the bacon is done, pour off all but 1 Tbsp of the drippings. Set aside the bacon, and cook the shallots 7 minutes or until translucent in the leftover drippings. Crumble the bacon and set it aside with the shallots. When the squash is done roasting, mix in the bacon and shallots and turn the oven up to 450.

Put the flour in a heavy-bottomed sauce pan over medium-high heat and slowly whisk in the milk. When all the milk has been added, bring to a boil for 1 minute or until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the shredded cheese. Combine the pasta and the squash mixture in a 9×13 casserole dish, and pour the milk and cheese mixture over the top. Stir to coat. Top with grated parmesan and pop back in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese starts to brown. Serve warm, or cold, on a plate or in a bowl or straight out of the casserole dish if your house is anything like mine!